Wild Boy
by Phedrelora
Summary: When Grandpa realizes that his grandsons are in way over their heads, he contacts an old friend for help, who in turn gets the Elders of the California vampire council involved to put a leash on Max and his "lost boys". Picks up about a week before the final showdown at Grandpa's house and goes into an AU/AE, in which a few characters that got the axe survive to live on, somehow.
1. The Request

**CHAPTER ONE**

**The Request**

Chester Clayton Smith was nervous. At his age, a robust 68, that was not a healthy state to be in. Nonetheless, he could put this meeting off no longer. Michael and Sam were in trouble, and, he suspected, Lucy could not handle them well enough for the problem to resolve itself. Michael, his oldest grandson at eighteen years, was out at all hours of the night, and Sam was so spooked lately that it wasn't even fun to sneak up on him anymore. It had to be those damn vampire punks he'd heard tell of, and if it was them, then he needed to see Shade. It would be an awkward visit, to say the least. It had been over twenty-six years since he'd seen the…him.

Shade was a grown man when Chester himself was young. He'd met the dark-haired and ruddy-skinned Indian when he was 12 years old; fishing in Sadie's Creek out on his grand pappy's property. Calling Shade an Indian wasn't politically correct anymore... but that's how Chester always thought of him as a boy, _that strange Indian fella on the back forty_. The evening he'd run into him, he'd been walking back from the creek, headed towards the cabin. He was taking a different path than he usually took because he was disappointed with himself. He's hoped to bring home a catfish or two for his momma to fry up that night, but for some reason the fish weren't biting. In his melancholy mood, he was kicking at the ground and muttering to himself and not paying much attention to exactly where he was walking, only following the setting sun, as the creek was due east of his home. On the way, he'd snagged his rucksack on a thorn bush and had trouble pulling it loose.

As it sometimes happens with young folks, by then he'd just had enough of his frustrations and threw a wall-eyed fit. He'd been really looking forward to that fried catfish, and after a day of hard work in the fields helping pa with the harvest crops, darn-near splitting his finger open with the sling blade, and his Pa being sore at him for swearing when it happened and getting boxed in the ears for his trouble, this had all amounted to just too many bad events in one day for him. He picked up a branch and let the bush have it, yelling incoherently and grunting with each swing. A bird, startled by his outburst, streaked out from a neighboring tree, cawing loudly. He grabbed a handful of dirt, leaves and pebbles and flung them in the bird's general direction, missing by quite a bit, but feeling much appeased that he'd had the last word on that subject at least.

Anymore, he could barely remember what had alerted him to Shade's presence, only that he'd stopped hollering and throwing things, and the big fellow approached him and helped him pull his sack loose from the thorn bush, now misshapen and broken in places from the walloping he'd given it. The Indian had explained briefly that he was friends with his grand papa and had proceeded to walk him home, patiently listening to Chester holding forth about the day he'd had the whole way, and deftly avoiding his questions, revealing only that he lived in a small shack a ways to the north east of the creek, and that he'd known his papa when they were young men.

Chester had assumed he was close to his father's age and, as boys can easily do, put any ideas about how strange it was to have never run into this Indian on their land in all his twelve years of wandering all over it, his parents owned about two hundred acres, and went on to talk about what all boys are interested in at his age; the animals he'd hunted and caught, where the best trails were for coon traps, and fishing. Chester was a very simple being, and still was. Once delivered safely to his cabin, and eating dinner with his folks, (NOT catfish), he told his father about the evening walk, and about meeting his boyhood friend in the woods.

"That'd be Shade, I s'pose…" His father had remarked, "Known him a long time. Don't be botherin' 'em son, he's had a hard life, and all he wants is peace and quiet."

Chester had noticed his white-faced mother watching her father strangely as he spoke, but Chester just gave an obedient "Yes, pa...", and returned to his supper. He soon excused himself to get ready for bed. As he walked through the kitchen to his bunk on the covered back porch, (it was cooler outside), he'd heard bits of his parents' whispered conversation as they were finishing up their own meals.

"..said we would never know he was there, John…"

"..not going to be a danger, Eileen, now don't…"

"..MY son around that creature…"

"Quiet woman! ..just outside the house…ideas in his head…"

"..can't believe you're alright with this…"

"..said he could stay, I meant it. I am the man of this house!"

At that point, Chester was already beneath the sheets, he'd had no idea what the argument was about, and really hadn't been all that concerned about it. He was a boy, and his parents argued from time to time. Not often, but enough times over his life that he didn't worry about them. He'd gone to sleep listening to his mother push up from the table and leave the kitchen.

Over the years, Chester ran into Shade in the woods from time to time. He didn't bring up the meetings to his parents, as it always led to them arguing. He learned eventually that his mother did not want Chester to have anything to do with Shade, and would prefer his pa telling the Indian to leave their property. Pa said he wouldn't, and that was that. Eileen just learned to live with the distress, and urged Chester at every opportunity to steer clear of Shade, or else. His pa had charged him with the same prohibition, so each accidental or incidental meeting between himself and his Indian 'neighbor' became a secret shared between the two of them. Shade seemed to know intuitively how Eileen felt about him, and that John would rather the boy not be around him either, though for far different and more noble reasons. However, the two developed an acquaintance of sorts.

Over the years, once Chester understood more, or rather, less, of his Indian neighbor, they still remained on good terms. Shade still lived in that old shack out by the creek, and though not as often as when he was a younger boy, Chester might, on the odd month or three, run into him out on the back forty, fishing, walking, or sitting in front of the shack, smoking his pipe.

The thing was, eventually Chester realized that Shade never seemed to age. His hair didn't recede; his skin never gained age spots or wrinkles. He always looked the same, each time they ran into each other. He was probably in his early thirties when he realized that Shade wasn't…couldn't be…human.

When he realized this, he began to understand his parents' reticence about their only child mingling with Shade alone in the woods. He began to realize that, while obviously no harm had ever come to him, perhaps there were valid reasons for his parents' fears. Reasons that should be evaluated…taken into consideration. Perhaps he'd been lucky to have survived each meeting with the creature in the woods. Eventually though, Shade might be a danger to him, especially now that he had children of his own to consider.

The last time he'd spoken with Shade, he could tell that the creature knew things were different. He no longer hid his otherworldly quirks, he didn't even bother to blink, made no attempt to hide the inhuman speed with which he whittled away at a stick he was holding. He had never been more frightening to Chester, but after he'd told Shade he probably wouldn't be around to see him anymore, that he'd been thinking he might be selling the property anyway, getting the kids closer to school in town, and hem-hawing around a final goodbye, Shade turned his head and looked him full in the eyes and spoke.

"You are right to fear what you do not understand, but know this… I owed your grandfather a debt I could never repay. He was my blood brother when I was like you. Now, I am vampire. I am a watcher in the night; I will always watch over you and yours, and I will never harm you. This I swore to your grandfather long ago, and I keep my word. Always."

Chester hadn't known what to say to him after that, so he just nodded and, noticing a hint of regret in Shade's eyes, had walked home. In the end though, he didn't move out of his old family home. He'd built on to it over the years. It was quite rustic, and he eventually added modern plumbing and electricity, even a telephone when those gadgets came out. He had never sought out Shade again.

_Until now_, he thought ruefully. Something had to be done though, and if anyone was strong enough to deal with a pack of bull-headed, punk vampires, it had to be Shade.

Strolling quietly in the dark towards the creek, which had grown into more of a small pond over the years, he kept a sharp eye out for the shack. He wasn't sure if Shade would even be there, but he was hopeful.

The shack came into view when the trail veered to left and beyond a group of pine trees. No light shown outward from the one window the shack had. Not a sound came from within its confines. It seemed abandoned.

Chester let out a breath he'd been holding. His shoulders slumped. _Well_, he thought, _that's that._ He decided to wait at the shack in the hopes that Shade might just be out tracking. He had liked to coon-hunt. Settling back against the door frame, wondering how in the world he was ever going to get back up again once his joints locked up in their current position, Chester mused on what exactly he would say to Shade if he did turn up after all.

_You promised to watch over me and mine…well, we need you now. Those vampires are after my grandsons._

That didn't sound endearing at all, more like calling in an old debt. Perhaps it would convey to Shade just how desperate he was at this point. He worried with a hangnail on his pinkie while he brooded, now and then giving a yawn. He was trying to rearrange the words in his head to make them sound friendlier, more like a neighbor asking for a cup of sugar, than the desperate plea and demand for action that it was. He had no idea how Shade would react to something like that. As a boy, he would chatter incessantly at the Indian, and they'd fish, or hunt or just track game. He'd get monosyllabic answers or grunts of acknowledgement from time to time, but they'd never had a real conversation. It was always one sided. Chester had liked that about him. Growing up in a house where he was constantly told to shush, or quiet down, or quit bothering one person or another, it was nice to have free reign to say his piece to someone who was a good listener.

He'd never asked Shade for anything. Never…

Chester sighed and shook his head. He'd always had a peaceful life, steering clear of town and attachments other than his wife Sharon, who died seven years ago from a tumor in her brain, and his daughter Lucy. Now, Lucy was divorced, and she'd asked to stay with him to escape the emotional wreckage of legal battles where she'd given up everything she and her ex-husband had shared in their marriage, excepting full custody of her two sons. They'd turned his quiet, restive home into a loud and lively parade of rock-music, wrestling matches and brotherly chaos. He loved them though, or he wouldn't be here.

He was so deep in thought he hadn't noticed the Indian silently taking a seat, cross-legged, about a foot away from him against his shack. The flick of a cigarette lighter as the Indian lit his long tribal pipe nearly caused him to soil himself in shock.

"You damn-near gave me a heart attack, Shade! Don't you ever make a sound when you move?" he complained.

"No." was the quiet reply.

Chester heaved a sigh, and attempted to slow his pounding heart. Several quiet moments passed, during which Shade smoked and stared out into the forest without seeming to focus on anything in particular.

Chester was considering several ways to start when Shade quietly spoke first.

"I know why you have come here."

He flicked his eyes up to Shade's in surprise. "Is that so?"

"I've been _watching_, Chester, as I always have. I know what is troubling you. I do not know if I can help, but I will try."

After a minute, while Shade sat contemplating his pipe, Chester nodded.

"I figured if anyone could do anything about this mess, it would be you." He said with a small genial smile. "I'd sure appreciate anything you could do."

Shade glanced up at Chester and nodded. To Shade's surprise, Chester held out his hand. After a long pause, he took it slowly and shook. Chester showed no sign of acknowledging his cold, hard skin. After letting go, Chester dipped his head in a silent farewell, and slowly walked back towards home. Leaving Shade to himself…and the quiet, dark forest that surrounded him.


	2. The Council Gets a Visitor

**Chapter Two**

**The Council Gets a Visitor**

Not long after Chester had gone home, Shade finished his pipe and stood. Stretching his arms over his head, he contemplated how best to contact the council and request an audience. There was a time when all one had to do was just show up. He missed those days. But the vampire population had grown in California, necessitating a strict council of elders, regulations and, for symbolic purposes, pomp and ceremony. After all, power is an illusion. If you seemed powerful, most likely you were, and with all the vampires in the world that were masters of glamour, one could never tell what weapons were up their sleeves at any given moment. Shade had heard tales of a vampire that could burn another being with just a look, a very successful way to kill any living thing, much less a vampire.

Rumors like this were also an effective tool the council used to keep most vampires from going rogue. They employed many powerful hunters scattered throughout the world to handle the 'little inconveniences' that popped up from time to time. Shade was frankly surprised that Max's brood had continued their reign of terror for as long as they had. After all, Santa Carla was now whispered to be the 'Murder Capital of the World' by many tourists and natives alike. Shade supposed that should have been enough to get the North American Council's attention, let alone the Council of California.

_But what do I know_, he thought, _I've lived in these woods for so long, out of touch with the rest of the world…perhaps the rules have changed many times over in my long lifetime_.

After several moments of formulating and discarding different plans, he decided to just go to the council headquarters in San Diego. If the Seneschal would hear him out, perhaps he could get an audience, if not tonight, then tomorrow night. Nodding to himself he focused on his location and willed himself in the air.

He reached the Warehouse district of San Diego within ten minutes, brushing off the worst of the dust that had accumulated on his vest and trousers over the weeks. He wasn't used to making himself presentable, and mentally chiding himself for not doing so before going to the council's headquarters, attempted to straighten his pants and vest into some semblance of neatness before continuing down the alley towards the hidden entrance.

Pausing for a moment to take a deep breath to calm his thoughts and order his agenda, he raised a hand and pushed the black button hidden on the brick wall behind a busted and cracked sconce beside the simple metal door. As it had no knob or other opening mechanism, it could only be opened from the inside.

After a moment, he heard the Seneschal on the other side.

"We have no appointments scheduled at this time. State your business."

The voice was precise and no-nonsense. _Good_, thought Shade, _I know your kind_…

"I am Shade, sired by Lenox Drustan. I have a matter of urgency that must be brought to the council." He answered brusquely.

The door opened. The Seneschal's golden eyes scanned Shade quickly from head to feet and back. He stepped backwards and motioned Shade into the complex. "Enter."

Shade kept his expression carefully neutral and stepped inside into a small, carpeted lobby area. He looked around and noticed that the furnishings in the room were different from the last time he'd visited. It had been several years. The walls were no longer hung with the Victorian pink rose and fleur-de-lis wall-paper, but appeared to be paneled in faux oak. The furnishings were boxy and strange looking to Shade, who enjoyed the more rustic and worn appearances of old country homes. It seemed the council was 'moving with the times' in terms of décor. He scanned his surroundings, taking in the scents of all in that had entered or left. He did not detect a whiff of Max or his young pups. He couldn't imagine them visiting the council anyway.

The Seneschal was dressed in an expensive looking blue corduroy suit with a bright red and yellow striped tie. His hair was brown, slicked back from his forehead and spiked at the ends, which brushed the neckline of his pristine white shirt. The collar was pointed at the ends and stood straight out from his shoulders like spikes. Shade thought he looked ridiculous, but offered no comment.

"Sit." The Seneschal offered. "Tell me your business with the council and I will decide if it is worth interrupting the current session. The elder's had scheduled no appointments tonight to hold a closed council. They have matters of great concern themselves, you know. Our district must come before a single vampire's troubles."

Shade nodded and sat, laying his palms on the top of his thighs. "Seneschal, I come to seek the aid of the council in a matter of a nest of young vampires that have gone rogue. I lack the strength to clean them out on my own, and I've no wish to offend their sire, though it seems he is content to leave them to their activities."

The Seneschal raised an eyebrow. "Really…"

Shade just looked at him. He gave no answer. He knew the Seneschal would try to toy with him. He was quite a bit older than this one, however.

With a bit of disappointment in his eyes, the Seneschal let out a sigh. "I've heard of you, Shade. You really are as dry as a tomb."

Shade watched expressionlessly as, after an uncomfortable silence passed where the Seneschal studied everything about him his eyes could detect, he rose to his feet.

"I am Eroseth. Seneschal of the council of district 28 of the state of California, keeper of keys, etcetera, etcetera… you know the titles. There, now we've been properly introduced." He said languidly.

Eroseth held his hand out. Shade took it warily and was rewarded with a hardy pump as Eroseth shook his hand twice, formal and correct. He then walked towards the only other door in the room and motioned for Shade to follow with a lazy wave of the hand.

"As it happens, the subject of tonight's council session is concerning the very same rogues you seem to be having trouble with. Isn't that a pleasant coincidence? When we get to the audience chambers, you will wait outside and I will check with elder Victor to see if they'll hear you tonight. I cannot guarantee it, though I have a suspicion that they will have some use for you…" He informed politely as they walked through the doorway and out into a long hallway leading an elevator that would take them deep into the ground where the council rooms and quarters of the Elders were located.

Shade started, "As I said before, I'm no hunter. There are too many for me to take on alone, and they rarely separate, if ever. Do not think me suicidal…"

"...Relax, my friend. I meant information. Nothing more… Perhaps, if I've judged correctly, you'll have scouted them enough that you'll be able to give them the intelligence necessary to eradicate them." The Seneschal laughed, good-naturedly, "I wouldn't want to be responsible for four rogues and two newborns either."

"Three." Shade inserted.

Eroseth stopped abruptly. "Three? Our sources say there were only two…a woman and a young boy."

Again, Shade just stared at him.

"Not much for conversation, are you Shade?" He began walking again, scowling. "I hope you are more forthcoming with the Elders. They will not tolerate your reticence. If you seek the attention of the council, you must be willing to cooperate fully with them."

"I know." was his only reply.

Once in the elevator, Shade reflected on the fact that the council was already aware of his problem and had convened already. _This should make things go quickly,_ he thought, _since they're already plotting on taking them out_. Eroseth was silent at his side, apparently giving up on having any sort of conversation with his taciturn visitor. Silently, the elevator sank lower and lower into the earth and finally halted to a smooth stop. A bell sounded and the shining metal doors slid open to a long hallway carpeted in yellow Berber with thin side tables in front of each doorway on either side. Shade scanned all around him as they made their way down the hall. Stopping at the double doors, Eroseth held up a hand to halt Shade.

"This room is where you will wait while I seek Victor." He frowned, "They will not be pleased at being interrupted, but my instincts are usually correct. I think they will want to hear what you have to say."

He opened the door, motioned shade to sit on one of the benches in the large audience chamber and walked quickly to another set of double doors that were used for the council members to enter and take their places from the council chambers.

The door closing was rather loud to Shade as he lowered himself and took a seat. The room was silent, only a few lights illuminating the darkness. He was able to make out the shapes of the benches, the high councilor's seat, and the rows of seats that would hold a sort of vampire jury if 'court' was in session. That was the extent of what Shade knew about the legal proceedings of the vampire world. He chose not to be involved. _Perhaps to my detriment_, he mused,_ it would be good to know what I am getting myself into._

Several minutes passed in the dark chamber with Shade staring at everything and nothing while he mused on how exactly this 'meeting' would go. He was just edging toward being nervous when the double doors opened and Eroseth motioned him to enter.

"The Elders will hear you." He smiled, giving a small wink.

Shade wasted no time. He was ready for this to be over with.

Inside, the room was only slightly smaller than the audience chamber had been. The walls were a deep burgundy, the floors were tiled in a muted brown stone, and there were several sculptures and a small fountain that provided a soft white-noise. The center of the room was dominated by a long, rectangular dark mahogany table, with eight identical, ornate chairs…all but two occupied with vampires. They each wore a dark, hooded cloaks of indeterminate color, but their faces were visible, each distinct. There was a blonde woman with dark blue eyes seated beside a raven-haired Spaniard, with bushy eyebrows. A corner of his mouth lifted while Shade scanned him. Another blonde, a male, whom he had seen before in passing several decades back, when he had travelled north to visit the ancient lands of his people, now densely populated and overgrown with buildings, cars and man-made parks. He had never returned. The vampire showed no signs of recognition, not that he expected it. The other three were facing away from him on the right, but he could tell there were two more males, and another female. They each were watchful, expectant…

"Behold the council of elders, District 28 of the State of California." Eroseth gestured grandly towards the six, three of whom were staring intently at Shade.

Shade was unsure what he was supposed to do, so he waited.

"It's customary to bow before the elders." Eroseth whispered with a small nudge.

Flabbergasted, Shade nodded his head briefly in the direction of the table.

"Eroseth…" One of the vampires, the Spaniard, on the left side of the table said quietly, "You may return to your station while we talk with this one."

Eroseth nodded and retreated, closing the doors quietly. Shade was left alone in a room with six strangers, all older than he was. He tried not to dwell on that fact. He sensed no immediate threat.

"Please, come." said the blonde female, "Sit with us."

She gestured to one of the empty seats. Shade stepped forward and pulled out the chair. As he sat, the woman continued, "You are Shade. We are not familiar with you."

All six pairs of eyes now focused on him.

"My name is Kendall." The woman continued, smiling briefly. She then gestured to the Spaniard. "This is Victor."

He nodded at Victor, and eyed the other four.

"What information have you brought us?" The blonde male, seated to Kendall's left, queried abruptly. "We've no time tonight for pleasantries."

Kendall sat down silently and gestured for Shade to speak. The rest remained motionless.

"I do not know what information you wish of me, I came here tonight to seek the council's aid in the matter of cleaning out a nest of rogue vampires that reside here in Santa Carla. They draw too much attention, are frequently careless with their kills, and have no regard for the rules of our society. I say they must be destroyed."

"Society!" Kendall laughed, "I see. Though you have been far removed from what you term 'our society' for the whole of your existence. How do you know what the rules are, Shade? You've never registered with the District; we have no idea where you live, what you do…"

"Irrelevant to the matter at hand, Kendall my dear…" Victor interrupted, laying a hand on her shoulder, "Shade, I know little about you, but what I guess is you wouldn't be seeking the aid of the council without a very good reason."

Kendall settled back into watchful attentiveness and allowed her colleague to take the floor.

"We've been aware of the situation with the rogues for quite some time, Shade. As the direct representatives of this district we've had to make it our business to know when a situation like this arises."

Shade held back the thought that it seemed to him that Max should've been forced to destroy his own creatures when they first began their chaotic behavior.

"The problem, Shade, is that we are missing two of our Elders." Kendall threw in.

Victor continued, "You are most likely not aware that this year marks the national elections of the vampire hierarchy. Our two most powerful Elders have gone to Washington to support California's own candidate, Diego Rivera."

Shade considered this. He didn't see why it was an issue.

"Let me enlighten you," Said one of the brunette males, "We are short the personnel to take out a pack of this size, especially if Max becomes involved. It is known that the lead male is gifted in illusions, and we assume they are all infected with deathblood. Their strength is double. We would suffer heavy casualties, something our council cannot afford with Madison and Kingsley in Washington, not to mention the fact that they've each taken two hunters from our ranks for protection."

"Which leaves us with none we can spare, none with the age and experience that would be enough to handle the situation quickly and quietly," Victor finished.

They were all silent a moment, reflecting on the situation. None of them looked happy.

"What can you tell us about them, Shade?" The other female asked quietly.

The next half hour, they listened as Shade described all he could guess about their habits from what he'd seen, where he knew they resided, their names, and what he was able to glean from overhearing snippets of their conversations from time to time. He told them about the two half-bloods they were holding in the caves, but did not mention Michael. He had known David, the platinum blonde leader of the rogue pack, was gifted in illusion. What he did not understand was this 'deathblood' contagion the brunette male Elder had spoken of. He told them all he had noticed about their different personalities. It seemed, though, that the group dynamic was the most important information, so he expounded on his knowledge of them as a whole.

"They are like animals when they feed, roaring and snapping at their victims. They tear the flesh from bone, maim and torture before they kill. It's demonic." Shade finished quietly, shaking his head. "I have cleaned up a few of their 'leavings'. It isn't pleasant and takes much time."

The Elders looked around the table at each other. _They know about the messes_, he suddenly realized, _they've already been dealing with them as well_.

"Shade, there is something I do not understand…" Kendall spoke up, "What have they done to you, to make it necessary for you to come out of seclusion? Why were you watching them? Our sources say you haven't been seen in the greater Santa Carla population but once in several decades?"

"Do I have to reveal that information to get the aid of the council?"

"We have no aid to give!" The brunette male interposed, frowning, "Why are we still discussing this? It must wait until Madison and Kingsley return from the elections."

"California is under intense scrutiny, Bargass." Victor argued mildly, "I know we cannot afford any losses to our personal ranks at present, but the human casualties are enormous already. We also cannot afford to let it be said that we cannot control our own district! How do you think that will look to Rivera's detractors! He appointed us himself. He'll have us murdered in our beds if this situation comes to light anymore than it already has. There is no guarantee that he's winning at any rate, and if he loses the seat, the first thing he'll do when he comes back is ask himself why…then, comes the restructure of the districts, beginning with each elder being removed…and since most of the elders know far too much about our dear Rivera, one by one they'll disappear."

"I do not think it will come to that." The brunette, Bargass, answered brusquely.

"...but are you willing to risk it?" Victor smiled deviously, "You've been an elder for ten years now, my friend. You have grown complacent. Just because you survived the first election doesn't mean you'll survive this one."

"You will not browbeat me into voting with you on this issue, Victor…"

"Who said anything about a vote?" Kendall interjected.

"What is there to vote on?" asked the brunette woman.

"We are simply discussing the issue at present, my dears…" said Victor, soothingly. "Nothing has been presented for a vote."

"Because there is nothing we can do…" Bargass said, stubbornly.

Four of the six vampire Elders looked to Victor. Kendall glared at Bargass. Shade sighed mentally, and all at once they verbally had at each other. Scrambling to argue what must be done, if anything, and who must responsible. Kendall sided with Victor, and Bargass and the blonde vampire who had interrupted Kendall when Shade was being introduced, was vehemently against anything that would endanger the campaign, but offered no ideas to control or eradicate the rogues himself. The brunette female frequently pleaded for order, and admonished each for speaking over each other. _They will not do anything about this situation_. After another ten or twenty minutes of them all arguing, with no signs of a plan forming, he began to rise from his seat.

"If the Elders do not mind…." He started.

"Wait," Victor held up a hand.

They all looked at him again. Shade slowly lowered himself back into his chair.

"Shade…" Victor sighed. "Have you any ideas…any more knowledge that might be useful to us? Obviously we lack the forces to deal with them directly…"

Bargass narrowed his eyes.

"The council should at least agree that this is a serious problem…" spoke the quiet voice of the dark haired female. She was called Annabelle, if Shade had heard correctly during the debate.

Shade answered with a thought that had crossed his mind several times from the beginning. "What do we know of Max?"

"He's devious." Annabelle replied, "He has many dealings that he thinks the council is unaware of. These, children…he's turned loose on the world are not the worst of them."

"Can he be swayed in any way to deal with them? Surely this David must at least answer to him in some way?" Shade asked. "I would be willing to help if I knew I was not going in alone."

Victor laughed, and Kendall seemed amused by the thought.

"By all means, Shade, you may try and speak with him. You'll only have to get past the hound."

"That hound that almost killed…" Shade started, "What creature is this? I've not seen an animal of his like in my lifetime…"

"A hell-hound." Victor replied, if he noticed that Shade had cut off what he'd started to say, he didn't show it… and he was serious. Shade studied him for signs of mirth, proof that he was playing some trick. He found none.

"Don't bother asking how he acquired it. We don't know." Victor continued, "But the beast is fiercely protective of him."

"He's somehow able to warn Max if any of us come near…" Annabelle added. "I've tried on several occasions to approach him. He disappears."

"There is much he needs to answer for." Kendall agreed, "But we cannot pin him down. He doesn't go anywhere without the hound, and he's extremely agile. He's got a knack for escape. The council has simply chosen not to act against him until a way can be found around the hound. If we cannot surprise him, we cannot hold him."

Bargass snorted, "This council was warned when Max entered our district…"

"Even the Elders of fifteen and seven could not stop Max, but in those districts he did not leave such a mess!" The blonde male wrung his hands.

"What is he?" Shade asked.

"Very old…" Victor answered. "He was turned in Sicily, nearly three hundred years ago."

"Indeed." Kendall agreed, "Quite old. No one is sure of his talents, besides a penchant for disappearing. He's lived all over the nation, quietly gaining strength. At one point, it was rumored that he was building an army to take down the vampire hierarchy."

"He plans very thoroughly, if so…no one has been able to prove anything. He does not register, nor keep company with any vampires who do. He's a mystery." Victor shook his head.

Each of the elders reflected silently for a few moments.

"I believe we have presented everything there is to know." Bargass stood. "I would like to put to a vote that we wait further action against the rogues until the national election is finished. We continue damage control in the mean-time. It will only be two weeks. We cannot hope to take them out until then."

"Second." the blond male sighed.

Victor sighed, "Alright. We vote to hold off offensive action until such time as our absent brethren return with more strength. All those in favor…?"

Annabelle was silent. The rest cast their votes in the affirmative.

"Those opposed…"

Annabelle lifted her hand in a futile gesture of defiance.

"Motion passes." Victor said, running a hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry Shade, I know you want something to be done immediately, but it cannot be at present. I invite you to return in two weeks' time, _by appointment_, and the council will hear you at full strength. It is likely you would be welcome to join in the attack, however it is arranged."

Bargass had a smug smile on his face as he said, "Motion to adjourn."

"Second." Annabelle replied quietly. She was staring at Shade intently, attempting to attract his attention. He noticed, but chose not to show it in front of the others.

"We are done here." Victor rose. "Good evening to you all…"

He held out a hand to assist Kendall to her feet and together they walked to one of the doors at the other end of the room.

"It was a pleasure to speak with you Shade," Kendall called out as they exited, "I look forward to our next meeting."

The other three males had left so quietly that Shade had not noticed until he glanced around and realized that he and Annabelle were the only two left.

"Shade," she smiled, "I invite you to my quarters. I would speak with you further on this issue."

"If that is your wish…" He answered, "…though I do not know why it is necessary."

"My rooms are more secure. We could…_talk_…without being overheard." She answered playfully.

Shade was not fooled. He saw no warmth in her eyes. She was not flirting with him; she really did not want to be overheard.

"It would be my pleasure."


	3. An Unexpected Ally

**Chapter Three**

**An Unexpected Ally**

Shade was following Annabelle as she walked. He suspected the graceful and languid way she moved was deliberate. If they passed a room with the doors open, or anyone lingering in the halls, she smiled coquettishly and gave him a quick glance. It was amusing to him, who had been so long without companionship of any kind, much less a woman, that he had to play the besotted fool for her tonight to learn what she was hiding. Every step he took rang with questions in his mind. _Does she want to help? Can she help? How?_

"Not much farther, darling…" She purred, leading him down a curved, black wrought-iron stairwell.

Apparently she lives at the center of the earth, he mused. Just how many underground floors can this building have?

"It was dug out forty years ago." She explained, as if in answer to his thoughts, "We are three hundred feet below sea level now. Absolutely no chance in hell the sunlight can get in here. I don't sleep much." She smiled.

Shade made a face, he knew about not being able to sleep.

"Here we are." Annabelle stopped at a large vault-like door at the far end of a hallway lit by a solitary sconce at the base of the spiral staircase. She turned to grin at him, "My quarters."

She produced a key chain from her bodice and then lifted a chain from around her neck that had an eight pointed star attached to it. Shade examined the process closely. The door had several etchings carved into the metal. She set the star in the groove that depicted a matching symbol embossed within a bold circle, and inserted the key in the deadbolt key hole. She turned the key four times to the left, and spun the circle that held the star six times right, four times left, and twice more to the right. She then reached downward and pressed what looked to be a bolt-head firmly until it clicked. The door made a great creaking sound as it swung inward.

Waving him inside, she eyed him with amusement. "Don't bother trying to remember the sequence, darling, I change it daily." She laughed airily. "No one can get in here unless I want them here."

Shade cocked his head to the side; perhaps he wasn't being as cautious as he should. "After you…"

Annabelle blinked at him, and then she laughed. It almost made him smile, the sound of bells and light and warmth. It was a real laugh. "Alright Shade," She turned and entered her quarters, still laughing quietly, and called to him over her shoulder, "Come in then."

The corners of his mouth twitched, but he mentally slapped himself and thought of Chester. He didn't have time for games now. Her rooms were sumptuous. Plush velvet couches, white marble flooring, and an elaborate chandelier graced the sitting room. He decided against having a look around, anxious to get to the matter at hand.

Annabelle pulled off her elaborate robe and hung it on a hook beside one of the doors along the walls of the room. Underneath she wore a thin silk gown draped artfully around her torso, held in place by a golden starburst at her right shoulder. It was a light, spring green color, and it set off her brown hair beautifully, bringing out the lighter highlights as she moved. On her feet she wore a pair of laced sandals that seemed to creep up her calves like vines. The effect was very Roman, and very dated. Shade admired her look though; it was understated elegance, not the bold, flashy frippery of this day and age.

She gracefully made her way to the couch and invited him with a wave to sit. He quickly did so and watched her attentively as she sat in a large armchair across from him. The table between them had an ornate brass candelabra situated in the center of a wreath of blood red roses. She flicked her fingers at it, and the candles burst into flame. Shade froze… _a fire dancer?_ He had not believed they really existed. Gauging his reaction, Annabelle leaned backward into the chair, an orange glow fading from her eyes. Shade instinctively tensed. This could go very badly for him if he wasn't careful.

"I may be able to help you Shade. But first, I need to know the reason why."

"I told you why, upstairs in the meeting." He frowned, "What other reason could I have?"

"Oh Shade, Shade…" She smiled sadly, "You have done yourself a disservice, living in seclusion as you have…" She shook her head slowly, "…and you are a terrible liar."

Shade just looked at her.

"I see." Annabelle sighed, "You don't trust me."

Shade blinked slowly in affirmation.

"I am short on time, Elder Annabelle; I need to know if you can aid me. If this was merely to get information out of me, I must leave."

"Who are you protecting?" She asked sharply. "I have to protect my own, Shade. I know there is a reason you have come out of hiding. I need to know if this reason is worth the risk I will be taking, should I aid you."

"You are willing to assist me if I tell you why?" Shade sat up straighter, a fire dancer could mean a quick resolution. He felt a wave of relief. It was short lived.

"No."

Shade blinked again, what was this woman getting at?

"I might be able to send you aid, but I will not be able to help you myself. The council has made its decision, and I cannot go against them. I do not want to lose all I have gained. You alone are not worth the risk." She smiled apologetically, "...Delectable as you are."

Shade fought valiantly not to blush like a maiden. He had forgotten the wiles of women. Treacherous, lovely creatures, God he missed them. "Perhaps we could stick to the matter at hand."

"As you wish, though we seem to be at an impasse."

"I am protecting someone. Several people, actually. I will not divulge any information on who and why, again, for their protection. These…animals need to be put down. They are a threat to the people I am protecting, to my own existence as well. What else do you feel you must know to make a-"

"Shade." She interrupted, holding up a hand. "If it bothers you that much, you may keep your secrets from me. You have a good heart." She looked puzzled for a moment as she studied him, "You have no idea how rare that is. I could tell when you walked into the council chamber that you were different from the rest of us. You still feel things."

"No." He said, "You are wrong. I remember. I remember honor. I remember fighting for the greater good. I was the chieftain of my people in my youth. We were all taught to be warriors. To protect the weak…" He stopped before he revealed too much. "Elder Annabelle…"

"Anna, please."

"Anna. If you can aid me, I will take these rogues out by sunrise tomorrow. I know where they rest."

"…and what about Max?" She countered.

"What about him?" He growled back at her. "He's left these demon spawn of his to prey on mankind without a backward glance. They prowl the boardwalks, they hunt, they kill, and he doesn't care. He's left them to their own devices. I do not think he'll mind one way or another if they are disposed of."

Annabelle shook her head in exasperation. "Max does nothing without a reason. There is some plot behind this."

"What...to kill off all the humans in Santa Carla? I tell you he has no contact with them. I've only seen them in the same room once, and he ordered them to leave."

"I don't know, Shade. But you mustn't underestimate Max. He's very old, extremely fast and full of cunning. How else would he have tamed a hellhound? You don't understand how his treachery works, Shade, because you still hold so tightly to your _honor_, but there is a scheme in this. We just don't know what it is. One of Max's most admirable qualities is _patience_. It may take him years to gain what he's wanting right now, but he'll get it, in the long run. We need to know what he wants, because believe me, there is something!"

Shade leaned backward into the cushions in exasperation. "Alright, I won't discount Max. I'll deal with him too. Surely I can take him out next, or die trying. At least I know my…people, will be safe from the rogues. I'll have fulfilled my oath, and then the council will deal with Max whenever your absent members return. Max is not my problem at present."

Annabelle's eyes widened, "…Your oath?"

_Oh hell._ Mentally kicking himself he grimaced at her, and she smiled.

"I see." She said, rising to her feet.

Shade was still sullenly staring at his hands as she paced the room. She was muttering to herself; obviously still stuck on the idea that Max was somehow behind the rogue nest and their exploits, and wondering what he was hoping to gain from it all. Every now and then she would glance at Shade.

"Anna. Help me." Shade entreated.

She stopped pacing, staring at his earnest face. She was fighting an internal battle.

"Please."

"It's not that simple Shade. I'm going against a council decree if I do this and word gets out. If it comes back that I had any hand in this I will lose my position. I cannot risk that."

"Then why did you bring me here at all, woman." Shade growled, rising to his feet in his agitation. "If you will not aid me with the rogues until the other elders return…why?"

She held up a hand at his slow advance. "Do not push me on this Shade; I haven't said I will not do anything, I just can't see a way to do it without being implicated should you fail." Her eyes took on an orange glow and that stopped him.

_Right,_ he thought, _fire dancer_. He took a slow step backward and her shoulders relaxed.

"As luscious a sight you are in your anger, you must not forget that you are here at my invitation, and if you were to _disappear_, no one would ask questions." She cocked her head and gave a crooked smile. "In any case, I don't wish to kill you." She glared, "Don't force me."

Shade glared back, but gave a brusque nod. He was out of his depths with this one.

"I don't have much time. I need a plan in place tonight."

She sighed, throwing back her head. "There is only one person I trust that might have the means…"

"Tell me."

Annabelle started pacing again, rubbing her temples. "You'll have to go to her alone. Tell her what you know. _Everything_ you know, about what we've discussed tonight. You'll have to move quickly, there are only three hours until the sun rises and you'll be too conspicuous." She stopped abruptly, poking a figure in the direction of the sky, "Can you walk in the daylight?"

Shade blinked, thrown off his train of thought by the question. "I can move, though with much difficulty. I am drained of most of my strength in the sun's rays."

Annabelle nodded and continued pacing. "Liana is the name of the woman you will meet with. She is younger than I, but not by much. Has many hidden talents, and is not to be taken lightly. I trust your honor on this, Shade; she is a sister to me."

He rolled his eyes, _savage bloodthirsty Indian, am I?_ "I would not harm the woman."

"It was not meant as a rebuke." She waved her hand in dismissal, "She is in seclusion by necessity. She has a fearful reputation and many a noble of our kind would gladly make a 'pet' of her."

Shade grimaced. _Did the vampires still practice bond-service?_

"You'll find that a great many of us do all sorts of things that are out of fashion."

"Can you read my thoughts, woman?" He grumbled.

"No Shade," She smiled briefly, "I can read your face." She flung herself back in her seat and gave a slight huff, "…all too easily. That's why I cannot help but be afraid to act on this."

Shade watched her as she placed her forearms on the arms of the chair, her back ram-rod straight as she contemplated him once more. Her left arm bent at the elbow, and she balanced her chin on her upraised arm and seemed to nibble at her long nails in thought. Her eyes were racing, right, left…and Shade was about to scream in consternation and impatience.

"Send me to this Liana, then. We'll see if she can come up with a reasonable solution." He shifted his weight and regarded her solemnly. "I'll do my very best not to endanger you, Anna, but I will act with or without your aid. So there is no point in trying to take me out of the equation. I must do what I can to uphold my oath."

She closed her eyes briefly. "I know."

Abruptly she stood and walked to him slowly. His eyes widened as she reached down her shift, between her breasts and pulled an emerald up and around her neck. The chain was long, golden and exquisitely wrought. She handed him the stone. Taking it quizzically from her, he looked up at her. "Where is she?"

"Your _oath_ that you will not harm either of us, you will speak of this arrangement to no one, and you will hold her continued existence as guarded a secret as the family you protect."

Shade dropped to his knees. "I swear it."

He pulled a knife and slashed at his palm.

"That will not be necessary." Annabelle tried to stop him, but he was undeterred.

"You wanted an oath… my blood is my oath. I know no other way."

Her eyes flashed orange and dainty fangs extended from the roof of her mouth. "You'll never be able to hide from me again, Shade. If we share our blood, we will be linked forever." She warned him.

He didn't give her a chance to think twice, he grabbed her hand and slashed, pressing the wounds together. "I take nothing from you, and you take nothing from me. With my blood, I give you my oath that I will not harm you or Liana in any way. I will tell no one of what we discuss or breathe a word of her existence. This I swear, by blood."

Anna blinked in confusion. "This is your blood oath?"

"The only oath I know. It is sacred to my people. We are now blood-kin. I will not betray you."

"Oh…if only we had the time…" Anna said with a husky laugh, "I could show you just how close we could be." She shook herself. "At any rate, you'd best be off if you want to be close to her residence by sunrise."

It took another half hour for Shade to get the coordinates committed to memory. Liana's residence could only be traced by a land route of about fifteen different landmarks. It was daunting and Shade was not altogether certain he'd be able to find it in three, make that two, hours. Annabelle also had to be satisfied that most of the council would consider their meeting in her quarters a little midnight 'tryst', and those usually involved a lengthy visit. Once she felt certain enough time had passed, she gave him leave to go. Telling him to take a Northern route out of the city to make sure he wasn't being followed.

Exasperated and impatient, Shade strode quickly to the door.

"Good luck, Shade." Annabelle called after him quietly.

Shade paused before opening the heavy vault door and glanced back at her. "Why are you helping me, Anna?"

She slowly bared her teeth in a hungry looking smile, "Oh…" she murmured. "I'm not just helping you, Shade. I'm going to destroy Max, and you have presented me with the means to do it."


	4. Strangers in the Woods

**Chapter Four**

**Strangers in the Woods**

Liana looked up from her drawing. Something was amiss. The horses were agitated and the bobcats in the woods were growling and pacing. She scanned the skies to make sure she hadn't missed any storm clouds. She didn't smell rain. Her eyes narrowed as she took in her surroundings. Perhaps it was another nomad; they stumbled across her land from time to time. If they were smart, they didn't choose to come poking about. She'd had to silence a few unsavory trackers over the years, and it was unpleasant work. She had to do what was necessary to maintain her peace and solitude. For all intents and purposes, she was dead to the vampire hierarchy, and she wanted to stay that way.

She set her pencil aside and stood. On her balcony, she could only see as far into the distance as the mountains would allow, severely limiting her view of the horizon from her house. It was nestled snugly between three heavily wooded peaks along the Ozark chain. She'd heard it referred to as a 'holler' by some of the local farmers and pilgrims of years past. It was deep in the chain, and only years of spending her savings had made the habitation possible. She had contracted humans to dig several wells, no mean feat in the mountainous areas and the labor was exorbitantly priced. It was also necessary to come up with a reason for the work, as she must needs keep knowledge of the house from the workers. Until routing to the house itself could not be accomplished without that fact known, several had been working at the three different sites. Malera, her only companion and housemate of several years, had then supplied the deficiency, much to Liana's distaste, by selecting two or three of the workmen to complete the routing. She had promised triple the pay without the knowledge of the contractor, who was told the wells were for a future warehouse that would be built to house mining operations in the area. These selected individuals completed the work once the rest of the team were long gone, in absolute secrecy, and were disposed of. Rather heartlessly, but it was unavoidable, as Malera would argue many times after it was accomplished.

They served the purpose of giving them plumbing though. After several decades of chamber pots and outhouses, she was more than willing to spend the money, and put up with the inconveniences of conscience. Electricity was trickier, most of it provided by highly state of the art solar energy harnessing. The things were ugly and bulky, and she had no idea how they worked, but they gave her power for lights, television and music. This was added in much the same way the wells had been, only with fewer people to die afterward. As for a phone, she didn't require one. There was no one to call. She preferred it that way. Truly, the only downfall to her home was that she must constantly be on guard. Staying hidden, it seemed, was an endless battle.

"Malera!" She called out.

After a few moments, a short, tan woman with silvery blonde hair padded softly onto the balcony behind her. "Yes?"

"Lock down the house, quickly. Something is amiss tonight. I have a feeling we may have a visitor, and I must be prepared." Her hands tightened on the railing as she leaned down and whistled. The horses in the flat land behind the house pricked their ears for a minute and then trotted towards the barn, where they would wait until daylight to continue grazing.

She glanced once more up at the night sky before pivoting and stalking indoors, leaving her drawing materials on the table where she had left them. Pulling the double doors shut behind her and closing the steel shutters on the windows with a flick of her wrist, she entered her master suite, turning out all the lights. In a moment of indecision, she listened to the faint sounds coming from downstairs as Malera glided through the house to bolt doors and closed the internal steel window plates. Then, nodding in resolve, she sprinted to her huge walk in closet. She pressed a notch hidden in the panel of the wall and a door sprung open to reveal her armory. Guns, bows, arrows, knives – if you could kill or maim something with it, she had it in here. It was dark inside. She shot a swift glace at the inner wall sconce and a flame sprang to life, providing enough light for what she needed to do.

She armed herself quickly, mentally cursing that such a peaceful night would end so abruptly. She pulled on her black leather jacket, stuffed the pockets with her silver shots and plunked her custom-made Beretta Cheetah into the thigh holster on her right leg. She also grabbed her bow, quiver and tranq-shots. With that, she was good to go.

Liana ran swiftly through her room to the hallway. She nearly collided into Malera coming up the stairs and made a gesture at her to go upstairs and wait. Malera nodded and took off down the second floor hallway, springing in and out of rooms as she continued locking down the house. Liana left her to it without a backward glance.

Another ten minutes found her outside, concealed in the woods to the front of the house. She waited in the upper branches of a big oak. From where she was perched she could see any odd movements through the woods at preternatural speeds. The wind was blowing the scents of the night straight to her. She had positioned herself in a crouch, and her bow was in her left hand, arrow-cocked and ready. She heard the cats calling to each other higher up the summit. They were circling the house as well.

All at once, the woods around her went quiet.

"Liana!" A man's baritone called out. "I know you are out here!"

She tensed further down onto the branch, aghast. _He knows my name! How?_ Shaking her head resolutely she put away the arrow that was coated in the tranquilizer, and swiftly pulled a silver tipped arrow in its place. She would have to kill this one. She didn't relish the thought, after all these years, she still was burdened with her damned conscience.

"Annabelle sent me! I have proof! I need to speak with you!" This time his voice sounded closer, but she hadn't detected a sound. _Impressive_.

She scowled. Annabelle would never have sent a man out here for any reason. She would have sent word first and they rarely had contact at all anymore. Had this guy killed her? What was this proof? There were just too many questions and she would not risk her home…not after all this time_._

"Liana." His voice was at the base of the tree now, and she sighted down her bow and loosed.

The sound of him flinging himself away from the tree was almost thunderous. _Not so quiet now, are we?_

"_Ayustan! H_ave you no manners, woman? You sliced my shoulder!"

Her second shot missed as well. He had jumped into the tree to her north seconds before the arrow slammed into the ground where he'd been. She had loosed it as soon as he'd spoken, though she had no idea as to what he had said.

Now she could see him clearly. He was holding out a chain with a dangling green stone. She caught sight of its tint, and pinched the arrow harder to hold it cocked. "Is that your proof? You have about three seconds to convince me to look."

"She wasn't exaggerating about you at all." Shade muttered, and before she could bury an arrow between his eyes, he flung the necklace at her and leapt out of sight. An arrow thunked into the tree trunk behind where he'd stood.

_Shit!_ She hadn't heard his feet hit the ground, and the rock attached to the chain had damn-near put her eye out. Her timing had been a little off with the reload, so by the time she was strung and swiveling for a target, all was quiet, and he'd had plenty of time to be a good distance away if he'd ran.

After several agonizingly slow minutes of silence, she let out a breath and slowly released the tension on her bow. Because she didn't want to be caught completely unarmed if he was still watching, she waited a minute or two more before sheathing the arrow, slinging the bow back across her shoulder and pulling the Berretta from her thigh holster. She glanced down at the ground, where the necklace he'd flung had landed. Curiosity was getting the better of her. She stood quickly, made an aerial sweep of the forest floor and slipped from the branch.

She landed in a crouch, sighting down her gun immediately and listening hard. _I know he's still here; I can still smell him, and his 'three seconds' were up a long time ago._

From her position, she realized she could also smell Annabelle's scent. That gave her pause. Not lowering her eyes from where she scanned, she reached down with her free hand and grasped the stone.

It was warm, and as soon as it made contact with her skin, a tiny flame sparked to life within its facets. _Annabelle…_

The necklace did belong to Annabelle, had been around her neck as recently as a few hours ago, and if she had been dead, the stone would have been cold. This man had been sent by her…and Liana had almost killed him.

Liana groaned quietly and rose from her defensive crouch. "Are you still here, stranger? You have my attention now."

Technically, she wasn't to blame. 'Shoot first, ask questions later' was her rule. Besides, she had forgotten about the necklaces. It had been well over a hundred years since they'd been used. The green stone she now held was similar to the red stone she was wearing. They had been purchased in Sicily in 1852 by Annabelle. Each stone was imbued with a spark of their life-force, or so the alchemist had claimed. Liana had thought that he had just injected a bit of Annabelle's blood into them once the bargain was struck, and that was what made them work. She understood next to nothing of alchemy. However, being blood-bonded, Liana and Annabelle literally shared the same blood; and both being pyrokinetic, they had studied and tested for nearly a year to cause the flames in the stones to only spark if in contact with their skin.

In the past, it was a way to be sure of each other's identity, as their nest mates had sometime been extremely gifted illusionists. They'd also used them to warn each other of danger, but it had been so long! Their bond was faint with the distance between them and by the years of their separation. However, it was still enough to cause the stones to spark if it came in contact with either of them. For many years they had protected each other, using whatever means they could find that would not alert their sire, or any of his clan, to their location.

After a long span of time using the talismans, they began to understand that there _was_ something more than just their blood. It was proven after a particularly horrible night that had left Liana beaten within an inch of her life and unconscious. It had taken her months to heal completely from the ordeal. The entire time she'd been unconscious after it happened, Annabelle had told her that the red stone hanging from her neck had gone cold, the flame within guttered so small, it could barely be seen. _'It wouldn't burn, Liana.'_ Annabelle had cried. _'I thought you were dead!'_ Liana eventually regained consciousness and as she healed, the stone eventually warmed and the flame grew back to normal. They had both kept their stones all these years.

It was only after their sire had been killed that they had drifted into two very different, separate lives. Annabelle enjoyed the notoriety and power of politics and Liana, the seclusion and peace of anonymity. She'd studied for years in combat, poisons and weapons; enough to be a real threat to any creature who attacked or provoked her. She'd dangerously tested her tranquilizers on herself many times, and knew just how much of each was necessary to incapacitate her kind. Thankfully, she'd never used too much, but she always believed that if she had to die, there were worse ways…and of course, she had Malera.

Malera had been with her for about thirty years, and was the only other being she'd had close contact with for even longer. Once Liana had established her household and settled there for several years, Annabelle had gotten curious and sought her out through their blood bond. It had been a brief but happy time for Liana. They had not lived together for a long time and it brought back many memories; one of which was that Liana was a hopeless housekeeper. Annabelle had contrived to send her Malera to help, with a note that said she would keep sending people until Liana finally agreed to have a housemate. Conscious of the fact that Annabelle was true to her word, and lamenting that her secret residence was now known to two vampires, she had agreed to Malera staying on with her. At the time, she had done so to stem the knowledge of her whereabouts. She had yet to learn all that was required to actually maintain the secrecy.

Malera was turned by Annabelle many years previously, and though they were secretive about their shared history, it became apparent that she was intelligent and capable of dealing with the domestic necessities that came of having a house. Liana eventually forgave her overzealous friend for sending her a 'house-keeper' and she and Malera struck up an easy camaraderie. She became indispensable to her for her knowledge as well. It was Malera who, with quick wits and long habit, shared with her the necessary planning and lifestyle changes to ensure their seclusion. Even more important to Liana, with Malera there to tend to most of the work, she was free to pursue her studies of poisons and tonics for her kind, keep up her physical training and solidify the wards on the house. One of her most exciting discoveries was her development of a substance that, once personalized for the user, masked their scent. It was in the final stages of being completed. If she could create enough of it, she and Malera would be literally untraceable to any by smell. After thirty years of working on the project on and off, she had finally gotten some results. It was the final step in the ongoing project of making the house they shared the safest they could make it. For at that point, once acclimated to masking their scent, most nomads of their kind would find no reason to stop at the house, she hoped. It would be nice, not having to kill every being that came within smelling distance of their house, a radius of about thirty miles. It would make hiding much easier, stalking much more secure, altogether a very great addition to their wards.

All her research and training over the years had accomplished much in the way of keeping her separate from her own kind. It had been decades since she had last seen or heard from Annabelle. Even then, the necklaces had not been used or even mentioned. It was only natural that Liana would not have immediately registered what the stranger in the woods had held in his fist. However, since the stone had flared at her touch, she now knew with absolute certainty that Annabelle had sent him. Unfortunately, she also knew that the reason he was here could not be good. That was not a pleasant thought.

"Are you still here?" She called out again, going over the options in her head. Following him would probably be best, but he was fast. God knows, he'd probably given her up for a lost cause and gone back to wherever Annabelle was to berate her for sending him into a harpy's nest. Not that he'd make it. If enough of her arrow had punctured the skin, he'd likely die along the way. "I'm not going to shoot you!" She refused to yell any louder from long habit of not attracting undue attention, though she doubted anyone was close enough to hear. Closing her eyes, she took a long breath through her nostrils, trying to familiarize herself with his scent in case he came back. His scent was totally alien to her. She shook her head in irritation and pocketed the necklace she'd picked up from the ground. She then cast her eyes about the differing flight paths of the arrows she'd shot at him. _No need to waste ammo_, she figured, walking sullenly towards the arrow that had buried itself nearly to the fletching in the forest floor. _Besides, silver ain't cheap._

She walked towards the house, making the normal amount of noise in case the stranger was listening. She looked at the arrows she was holding closely. One of them had scored his shoulder, he'd said. She didn't see any blood on either one, so it must've been wiped off when it struck the dirt, or when she'd pried it back up. _That's a pity, it might have been nice to have another blood sample to test her poisons on_, she mused. Figuring the stranger wasn't coming back any time soon, she began to jog. She needed to tell Malera she was okay, and figure out how they would proceed from here. She was so deep in thought as to what the stranger could have wanted and what Annabelle would have to do with him that she didn't notice him until she was out of the woods and marching into the open front yard. The sly bastard was sitting on her front steps.

She froze in place, "What do you think you're doing?" She grimaced at how stupid she sounded. _For God's sake, Liana! He wants to talk to you, remember?_

"I was waiting for you," The man replied.

Liana sighed. "Okay, I'm here. You have my attention." She crossed her arms, putting her weight on her right foot. Outwardly, her face gave away nothing. She'd mastered the art of hiding her thoughts and emotions over a century ago. She was irritated that he'd been able to get around her and lounge on her own front porch, but she would not let him have the upper hand in the situation by showing any sign of bewilderment or uncertainty.

"Might we speak somewhere more comfortable? It will be dawn soon and I've travelled a long way to see you," he prodded lightly.

Liana shook her head. "I don't know you. I don't invite strangers into my home. Now what brings you?" She was resolved to get to the matter at hand. The sooner he delivered his message, the sooner he would leave.

"What I wish to speak of is not something to be shared out in the open. Annabelle knew as much. I would hope you could show the same courtesy." He persisted warily. He kept his hands positioned where she could see them. He looked directly into her eyes, and he didn't fidget.

She narrowed her eyes. "Annabelle knows I would not be as careless with my home as she seems to be." she countered with a snort.

"Perhaps you would be more comfortable if we introduced ourselves." The stranger countered, resolve etched in his features. Not unattractive features either, she noted. His hair was long, black and straight. His skin was a luminous copper. He had a sculpted jaw and high cheekbones on his smooth face. Those eyes, filled with wary resignation, were a pitch black that swallowed up all light.

"Let's start with you, since you are on my property."

"Very well, I am Shade."

"Shade…" She cocked her head, "Is that all?"

"What more do you want to know?"

"Where are you from? Why are you here and what has it to do with Annabelle?" Each word was slow and distinct. She didn't like having to repeat herself.

Shade, as he had called himself, sighed in exasperation as well. "I am from Santa Carla. I've lived there a very long time. I also hear your friend inside. I was told to speak to you and you alone concerning why I am here. Annabelle either didn't realize or failed to mention any guests you might have. I am trying to keep this matter between the three of us, alone. I have made a promise to your blood sister and I must honor it. This is not a situation that can be discussed at great length in the open. I request that you hear me out, safely. These are dangerous matters."

She was intrigued, but not enough to trust a stranger in her home. If he wouldn't talk, she couldn't risk herself or Malera by inviting him in. He spoke of secrets and dangerous matters. She had more than enough of those inside and had no intention of allowing him to see.

"Look. I don't know you. Sorry you wasted your trip, but you need to leave. If Annabelle has something to say to me, tell her to come herself, or send a note. I'm not letting you in my house." She gave him one last glare and motioned for him to get off of her porch and out of her way.

"Oh, by all that's holy…" Shade muttered as he stood up and walked in the direction of the woods. He'd deal with his own concerns. He'd had enough of feminine wiles for a lifetime, but he remembered the look on Annabelle's face when she told him the reason he was sending him here. Perhaps that was the key.

Liana was standing in front of her door, watching him leave when he turned around and said something that turned her blood to ice in her veins.

"She's going to destroy Max." He had whispered. So faintly, she barely heard it.

Terrible memories threatened, roiling behind her lids as she closed her eyes in horror. _Max_… After a few moments, her violent shaking and burning hands pulled her from the nightmarish visions of the past. Why hadn't Annabelle told her she'd found him? Why California of all places? Out in the open! What was he doing? A thousand questions she could ask, but she only needed the answer to one. _Max!_

"Where is he?"

The male vampire was staring down warily at her hands. "In California. Just outside Santa Carla after the last exit." He had assumed she would be amenable to more sequestered environs after that tidbit of information he'd offered. After all, if Annabelle was correct, this Liana would not go after him alone either.

After she had glared at nothing for a full five minutes and her heartbeat had slowed to a more normal rhythm, Liana blinked and focused on the stranger again. She was patting her hip, under which her thigh holster bobbed, seeming to debate with herself internally over some unanswered query. Finally she nodded and called "Malera! Bring a knife and one of your scarves!" She then nodded at him and said, "This matter does need discussion, and I will provide the space," she paused with a direct look into his eyes, "conditionally. My housemate will be with us at all times. Armed. You will be blinded from seeing the inside of the house." She started to turn, then added, "…and I'd better like what you have to say or you won't be coming out again."

Shade smiled grimly, "If Annabelle has not been mistaken in you, you will. I will abide." He stood straight, feet apart and watched as a prim little blonde poked her head out the door, gauging her reception.

"Liana? What is it?" She asked in a soft girlish pitch.

"Bring the knife Malera, and we need a way to bind this one's eyes. He's coming in."

Shade watched as the girl's eyes widened and she slipped back inside. "I take it you don't get much company," he said drily.

Liana smiled. "Funny that. Any who visit here don't return home. It discourages others."

He nodded. "I don't care for company myself. I wouldn't be here if I could help it, miss."

"We will see, uh…Shade, was it?"

"Yes."

She studied him as they waited for Malera. "You look Indian."

"I am of the people."

"I don't believe I've ever spoken to any of your people before."

"There aren't many of us left. Certainly not any of vampire kind." He looked uncomfortable after saying this, so she dropped the matter, giving up on small talk.

Malera returned with the requested items within two minutes. She looked up into the night sky, growing lighter over the eastern summit, and glanced at Liana in inquiry, eyebrows raised.

Liana grimaced, taking the items and moving warily towards Shade. "Will you fry in the sun, stranger?"

He blinked at her and slowly shook his head.

It seemed a fraction of the tension around them was eased by his silent answer. Liana, not sure whether to believe him, judged for herself that he wouldn't, as he had shown no signs of noticing the dawn coming or any fear thereof. She made quick work of securing the material around his eyes, covering his nose as well so as to mask the scents of the house somewhat. She then jabbed her knife into the rapidly healing scratch scored into his shoulder by one of her arrows. He jumped, hissing.

"Relax stranger, you'll need an antidote if you don't want to slip into death before the sunrises. You've been poisoned." She smirked, though he couldn't see.

"I do not like being blinded, and I do not feel this poison you speak of," he grumbled.

She smiled even wider, "You aren't supposed to." She then slashed at her palm and slapped her hand over the wound she had opened on him. "That means it's working."

He shuddered as her blood soaked into him.

"If I had run?"

"You would have fallen along the way." She assured him cheerfully, beginning to lead him towards the porch. "Malera, follow me please. Perhaps being outnumbered and blind will discourage our stranger here from any rash actions."

Malera nodded her assent and brought up the rear of their little procession.

Once Shade had been secured, blindfolded and seemed steadily to become weaker with the rising sun, Liana got down to the business of why he was there. The strong smell of cedar in the basement covered any smells from her work that might escape through the cloth of his blindfold. She'd finally deposited him in a chair when he became antsy and his steps began to slow. He grumbled the whole time about her wasting time, which she largely ignored, on the grounds that if it had been a true emergency Annabelle would have come herself.

Standing directly in front of him, knife still in hand she demanded, "Out with it. What is so important that Annabelle needed to send a stranger to my home against my explicit wishes? What has Max done?"

"I cannot say what Max has done to merit your specific attentions." He replied, choosing accurately the question that was most important to her. "Annabelle made no secret of the animosity she has toward him. I cannot say I know him at all. What he has done is sire a rogue vampire that has formed a clan of at least five other rogues. They are running rampant in my area and leaving a wake of dead. They must be stopped. For this, Annabelle has sent me to you. I mean to take them out and cannot do it alone." He rubbed at his face, agitated. "Of course had I known what reception awaited me here, I might have tried…"

"Rogue vampires." She deadpanned.

"Yes," he snarled. "Rogues that are destroying countless lives! They have no fear of anything. No one will stop them, and now they…" He paused. "They are calling undue attention from the locals."

Liana was mystified. For this, Annabelle had sent a stranger to her secret home. This? "I'm afraid I do not understand why this warrants a visit. There must be something you are leaving out. Tell me everything. If I find that your _problem_ does not in any way render your coming here absolutely necessary, I'm afraid I must destroy you."

"Your friend sent me here." He said through clenched teeth.

"And I need to know why!" She shot back. "Speak Shade! What did Annabelle say specifically! I hear nothing from you that merits your coming here."

"She said she wanted to help destroy the rogues. I swore a blood oath that I would not harm her or you, and that I would not speak of the situation to anyone but you. She does not want the council to know she is acting against their edict."

"The council," she mused bitterly. "What have they to do with this? Aren't the rogues their problem?"

"They won't act." He sighed. "I am running out of time. I need a plan in place."

Liana did regret having to be so cold, but she pushed those feelings aside. She needed to figure out what Annabelle wanted her to do.

"I assume you went to the council first?" She prompted.

"Yes. I was told that two of their Elders were away and had taken a good deal of their strength with them. Some election of some sort, they told me. I don't know anything about politics." He began fidgeting. "Is there no way I can take off this blindfold? I mean you no harm. I've sworn it."

Liana sighed and looked at Malera.

"He's not revealed everything," she said coldly.

"There you have it. My friend is not satisfied." Liana answered.

Shade whipped his head towards Malera's voice, frowning.

"What has Max to do with this?" Liana asked.

"I don't know. I've watched the rogues for about a week. I know that he sired the leader. I haven't seen any communication between them. The one he made is called David. David himself has three other boys in his clan and a woman and a child. The boys roam the boardwalk, killing at will and at random. They leave their mess without a thought to what attention it might raise. They are now stalking individuals that I am sworn to protect. I told this to Annabelle."

"Go on, what was her response?" Liana prodded, when he trailed off.

"She was more concerned about Max. She mentioned that he must have a reason for making David, and turning him loose. I told her I could not fathom it."

"You don't know him, you said. You've had no dealings with him past or present?"

"None." He affirmed.

"She and I," Liana began, starting to pace, "…we've known Max for a very long time. The animosity between us is deeply rooted." She stopped and turned back towards Shade. "But Annabelle is correct about him. He does nothing without a reason, yet I cannot understand it either."

"I must assume that this _reason_ is why Annabelle wanted you involved. She told me before I set out for you that she wanted to destroy Max, and that I had given her the means to do it." Shade replied.

Liana glanced at Malera again, raising her brows in silent question. Malera gave a small shrug, and turned to leave. Sighing, thinking it might be a mistake, Liana reached out and lifted the scarf from Shade's head. He blinked a few times and looked directly at her.

"I guess this means I have to go to Santa Carla," she stated with a grimace. "I hate California."

"It would be a much better place without the rogues," was his muttered retort.

Liana sighed inwardly. "So be it. I'll have to find a way to talk to Annabelle. She might be more forthcoming with me than she was with you."

"I was under the impression that I would be a messenger of sorts. It was assumed by those residing in the council headquarters that she and I had a tryst."

"Really?" She gave a wicked grin, "Annabelle has not changed."

"Quite unforgettable." He agreed sourly.

Liana held out her hand to him. "I apologize for the rude welcome. I cannot be too careful about my safety. Malera was all for killing you out right, you know." This wasn't strictly true, as they hadn't really had time to discuss the issue, but was probable. Shade took the proffered hand and rose to his feet. Liana could tell he was exhausted. "I'm afraid this room is the only accommodation I can offer you while the sun is up. As I said, I am not accustomed to letting strangers stay in my house. When you rise tonight, we will leave for Santa Carla. Have you a residence there?"

"Nothing like your home." He replied. "I live in the woods, but my home is small. I am of the land. I do not require the space."

"I suppose I'll have to find someplace to stay, at least to store my things." She mused.

"That will not be necessary. It may not be as large or fine as this house, but it will be there for you should you like to stay there. It's secluded."

"Sold." She grinned, slapping the arm she nicked with the arrow. "Get some sleep. I can tell you need it. We will put together a plan tonight while we travel. I have to pack." She pointed towards an old brown sofa. "There are no windows down here, so you should be alright on that."

"I shouldn't sleep long." He made toward the sofa somewhat sluggishly. "Wake me when you are ready to leave."

Liana didn't respond. She was making her way to the door. Malera, having exited a few seconds before her, propped on the outside wall waiting for her. Before they headed up the stairs together, Malera swung the heavy door closed, and barred it with a large iron shaft.

"That should hold him in for tonight," said Malera, shaking her head. "I have a feeling this won't be a pleasure jaunt for you."

"Nothing concerning Max ever is. I'll blindfold him before we leave tomorrow. I still don't want him to know the layout of the house. That will be most convenient in future should something go wrong."

Malera nodded.

"Take care of the house. I'll try to make this visit brief. Hunt today, if you can."

"I will," Malera replied softly, "Will you need me to help you pack?"

"I shouldn't, at least not until later. I'll start with the basics. We'll confer over weapons later. If you want to go now, then by all means, I'll be alright for now."

"I don't like leaving you here alone with him in the house." Malera worried as she began to head towards the front of the house.

"He's dead asleep, dear." Liana chuckled, "That poison had gotten pretty far into his bloodstream. He'll be out for at least six hours."

Malera gave an amused, "Ah."

Liana spared a moment to watch her leave the house, and lock up behind her. As she headed towards her room upstairs, she paused in front of a window in the hallway and lifted the steel shutters to peer outside. The sun was just beginning to appear in the east, and she noticed the horses were back out in the pasture, grazing on dew softened grass. The cats were silent. She took that as an omen that for now, she was safe. Closing the shutter, she turned and made her way up to her room to prepare for her journey to Santa Carla.


	5. An Uneasy Alliance

**Chapter Five**

** An Uneasy Alliance**

With Shade slumbering in her basement, Liana was at liberty to ponder the strangeness of Annabelle's actions while she packed. Only once had Annabelle sent a stranger to Liana since she had set out on her own. It had been Malera, sometime in 1911, well over seventy years ago.

Annabelle had never come to terms with Liana's decision to leave society for good. She disliked that Liana had no protection, that she was so far from her influence, and that she had no way of knowing whether Liana was in danger at any given moment. It was, for her, like losing her sister forever. They had fought bitterly during their last meeting over these things, and Annabelle had left angry. It was the only time in their long lives that a rift had come between them, but Liana had stood firm. She wanted none of the vampire politics. She was convinced that if others knew she existed, even Annabelle's position would not protect her from becoming the property of a powerful vampire eventually. She was finished with the slavery their kind practiced among the young.

During their last visit, Annabelle had extolled on the merits of political alliance, but even that, as Liana had scornfully pointed out, made you a servant of another vampire. The district councils were ruled by the higher councils of state, region, and finally, the national council of elders. It was a good system to keep the evil tendencies of most of their kind in check, but Liana still saw it as bondage. She didn't want the responsibilities it would entail. She didn't want to force humility and reverence to any so-called higher powers of their kind. She wanted to be left alone for however long she existed. She had long ago learned that power corrupted even the best of their kind, and her goal in life was to avoid corrupt vampires. She'd lived through unimaginable heartbreak and disillusionment from the hands of the corrupted. Her trust in her kind was forever shattered.

Yet after the blood sisters' last, angry parting, Malera had shown up in her territory within a week. She'd been clad in a black sheath, completely covered in a hooded cloak of midnight blue and she'd advanced silently up to Liana in the middle of the night. Liana was hard at work clearing out the brush in a meadow for her future horses when she'd felt the tap on her shoulder. Liana had been shocked into stillness, and if Malera had wanted her dead, she well knew that she would have met her end that day. Instead, Malera had simply stated that Annabelle had sent her, dropped an elegant envelope to the ground at Liana's feet, and silently turned and walked to the house.

Liana, still dumbstruck and terrified, had watched this strange and beautiful creature open the door to her house as if she owned the place and disappear within. When she'd recovered herself enough that her mental faculties could decide between going after this creature and attempting to destroy her, or running, she took up the envelope from the ground where it had been dropped. The wax seal smelled of their blood. She let out a deep breath and her fear turned instantly to anger at her sister. She opened the envelope and began to read the lengthy missive.

_Dearest Liana,_ _if you must persist in this madness of yours, at least allow me to offer protection for you in this way. I am sending Malera to you. She has long been, like yourself, dissatisfied with living among our own kind. She is under the councils' edict of execution for destroying her maker. I have heard her reasons and feel the sentence unjust. I'd been working within the council for several months to delay her sentence when this marvelous idea presented itself to me. She is ruthless, you see, exquisitely trained for the life you both wish to have. Through means which I will not share for the protection of myself and others, I have managed her escape and sent her to you. She can help you, guide you and offer some protection. You've always known, my dear, that two is better than one in a fight. I must warn you, that this is for my own peace of mind as well. Should you send her away, she's oath bound to tell me, and I will send another, and another, and another, until you finally accept someone to help you in this life you are dreadfully and stubbornly unprepared for. Believe me, love. I cannot live knowing you are alone in this world, fending for yourself. For me, accept Malera into your house, learn from her and protect her as she will protect you. I know you will be uncommonly suited to each other, as she too loathes the blood-bonding and others of our kind in general. _

At that point in the letter, she went on to harp on the fact that Malera was still under a death sentence, using it as a plea to keep her there. She then gave proof to the veracity of the letter with their special code, and sent her love. It was unsigned, but that was normal for them. Liana folded the letter up and placed it in her back pocket. Not knowing what else to do, she'd stayed outside working in the meadow while she thought about her situation.

Several hours later, she'd walked into the house, which had already received a thorough scrubbing in the living area. She noted that Malera had hung her cloak on one of the decorative hooks in the entryway and then apparently had gone straight to work cleaning the abominable mess of her home. She remembered how pretty her living room looked, all dusted and orderly. The random dirty clothing and debris was all gone. She heard activity in the wash room beside the kitchen and followed it, noticing that the kitchen looked as filthy as ever, but reasoning that no one could clean an entire house in just a few hours. Especially when it was in the condition she had left it in this morning. Cleaning had never been her strong suit.

She found Malera on a stool, turning the crank of the Blackstone Imperial washing machine, which had been rarely used. There were several piles of laundry scattered about, and the plain, wooden door that led to the side yard was open, where it was clear Malera had been hanging clothes to dry on the line. Mentally appreciating this, she gently cleared her throat by means of announcing herself.

"I heard you coming." Malera said, continuing to turn the crank inhumanly fast. The room smelled overpoweringly of lye, and Liana's eyes began to water a little, tingeing the room a soft orange from the light of the oil lamps.

It soon became clear that if they were to have a discussion at all, she would have to start it. Malera had already finished turning another load and was pulling the garments through the wringer and darting outside to hang them. She was silent all the while, not even glancing in Liana's direction as she worked on.

"May we speak?" Liana asked, after at least half an hour had passed with her presence being ignored. She had leaned against the wall at some point, her bare shoulder against the wooden paneling, and had crossed her arms as she watched and waited. She was filthy herself, and irritated with the situation she was in. She had had no idea what to expect, or to say. She just knew things could not continue in this uncomfortable state.

Malera had not answered until she had wrung and hung the entire load of laundry she'd just finished washing. Then she took a disgusted look around at the piles of what was left to be washed, glanced at Liana and motioned for her to follow her back into the living room, where she sat in the best armchair and motioned for Liana to sit on the sofa across from her.

All at once, Liana felt imposed upon. Was this not her house? What right did this tiny slip of a vampire have to sit in her favorite chair? Who was she to pick up her belongings, clean things, order her about? Her face must have shown her agitation. Malera was watching her calmly, and raising an eyebrow, held up a delicate hand in a silent request for patience.

Liana dropped to the sofa in a huff and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't like this at all."

Malera smiled a tiny smile at that. "You are quite slovenly, you know."

They both stared at each other, amused at the blunt and straightforward way they each had spoken what was foremost in their minds, but unwilling to laugh at the situation.

"Annabelle sent you here." Liana started again after several moments, "Did you want to come, or were you forced?"

"I did not want to come. I was not forced." Malera replied, matter-of-factly, and seeing that Liana was expecting her to elaborate, she went on.

"I've been imprisoned within the council for five years. Annabelle presented me with the means of escape and a safe haven," she glanced around the room, "at least it could be, eventually."

"You destroyed your maker."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I didn't like him."

Liana had snorted, almost a laugh. "That's no reason to kill someone."

"Soon you will learn that there are many reasons to kill someone, but if you are attempting to pry into my life before my imprisonment, you will be disappointed. I do not wish to speak of that time to anyone. I will not."

"Why did you decide to come here, then? Tell me that much." Liana asked, her tone rising. "Annabelle sent you. She said you preferred solitude, that we are alike in many ways. I cannot understand why you would choose to come here, if we are alike in this disinclination for vampire society?" Liana shifted, leaning forward. "And this is _my_ house, understand? I don't want to share it with anyone."

Malera listened, her face impassive, until Liana stopped speaking. "Annabelle sent me here because were this my house, I am skilled enough to protect it. You are not," she waited while her words penetrated Liana's mind, then continued. "I don't want to live with anyone either, but I also don't want to die. Annabelle, it seems, fears that you too will eventually die on your own, or be taken."

Liana sighed. "I cannot argue that I am strong enough to fight. Yet. But given time I will learn how to secure my territory and protect it. I don't need anyone for that. I can learn on my own."

"I believe you." Malera said gently, "But Annabelle does not, and however much we both dislike this arrangement, I cannot but believe it will be mutually beneficial to us."

They gazed at each other, each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Malera had frigid sky blue eyes and pale, white-gold hair. She was petite and stunning to look at. If she had a flaw, it may have been that she was too small, too angular. She must have been turned in her mid-to-late teens. She hadn't had the time for her body to fill out fully and mature into womanhood.

"You could have killed me in the meadow," Liana whispered, speaking what had been whirling through her mind since the woman had first tapped her on the shoulder, and yet undone by the soft appeal that filled her eyes now, "Why didn't you? Then you would've had my property and not had me to contend with."

Malera nodded to herself, looking away from her for the first time since they had both sat down. "I will not lie and say that the thought did not cross my mind, but I am bound by an oath to Annabelle that I will not harm you."

"She must have threatened dire consequences."

Again she nodded, "But truly, as there are many reasons to destroy someone; there are also many reasons to let them live." She looked back at Liana, "When I came upon you in the meadow, you seemed so content there, on your own, so at peace with yourself and your surroundings. I sensed no darkness in you." She sighed, "It's difficult to explain, but I saw how life could be for me. I want it more than anything, Liana."

Her eyes softened again, "In the end, I did not kill you because it would be as if I'd killed myself.

"If I am ever to have the life you have here, how could I live with the knowledge that I had murdered someone who wanted the same thing I did? Just take it from her, because she had found it first?" She waved her hands emphatically, "I believed that I would eventually be driven mad, knowing what I had done; with the knowledge that another of our kind could one day come to destroy me for what I had taken from you. Because If I could destroy you to take your refuge; then undoubtedly there are more of our kind that would do the same to me for the same purpose.

"Again, there are thousands of reasons, and our minds can process them all at once, you know," she finished, with another small smile as the signs of thought and distress were erased from her porcelain-like face as if by magic.

Liana hadn't known how to respond to what she had been told. She had not had the mental training necessary to look at killing the way that Malera had. She had only killed once at that point, and it had not been planned. It was something she chose not to think about and a tremendous part of the reason she stayed away from vampire society.

Malera continued to study her as Liana's mind whirled with all that had happened. She could tell from their brief acquaintance that Liana lacked the ability for small-talk and abhorred triviality just as she did. She came right to the point. "I feel that, though we each would rather be alone, we might come to an arrangement that will be as beneficial and unobtrusive to the other as we can make it. Annabelle may be right that we are more similar minded than we now think. I believe it's worth an attempt, if only to be added protection for each other. I will not get in your way, you will not get in mine, and we can learn from each other. For instance, you _are_ an absolute slob, so I will help keep the house and correct your slovenly ways from time to time. I will teach you what I know about stealth and combat, and you can continue your research. Annabelle was insistent upon that."

Liana could only nod. "I haven't been able to do much. She was disappointed. I've had to work on this house. I have many plans for it," she replied by way of an explanation.

"You do not have to explain your actions to me." Malera continued. "You are free, as I am, to do with your time as you wish."

Liana smiled at the hint of warning in her tone. "I have no plans to bind you to me."

"…and I have no plans to kill you." Malera smiled back.

Liana sighed. "I guess we will give it a shot, and see if it works. I do need to work on my research at some point, but there is just so much to do."

"Then I will help get these things done. I don't mind keeping a house if it is my own. I actually do enjoy it, though the mess you have here is the worst I've ever seen." Malera grimaced. "Once I've finished, I can work with you on the improvements you are planning. I know much about keeping a house secure."

Liana frowned a little, but agreed. "As you undoubtedly noticed while you were sneaking up on me, I am clearing the meadow for livestock. I plan to have a herd of horses eventually. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing…" she trailed off. Malera had held up a hand, stopping her from rising.

"What do you hunt, and how?" She asked.

That vampires could blush was rare, but Liana did. "That's a very personal question, Malera."

"Yes. But it is necessary. I will start by telling you my habits. I feed on humans, male humans, and sometimes I kill them while feeding if I feel the urge, or if their souls are to corrupt. You must never intrude during my hunt. This is not a request."

"You kill them?" Liana whispered, appalled.

"Sometimes, yes." Malera replied, "Now, tell me your habits and whatever demands you have now. We need to be in complete accord before we continue."

For a few moments, Liana had been stunned again by this creature sitting in her armchair. Eventually she explained that she rarely hunted at all, and when she drank it wasn't by any particular persuasion. She drank the blood of the living, all the living, be it animal, human, male or female, young or old; but she never killed who she fed on. Malera had had to explain to her that the ability to glamour living things into letting one feed from them was an extremely rare gift. The one demand Liana had made was about her research. Malera was never allowed to pry into her studies, or go into the rooms she worked in unless by her invitation alone. They each agreed to the terms and parted ways for the night. Each lapsing into silence naturally as they went about doing what they wanted.

Two nights later, the house was spotless, and the meadow was cleared. Their lessons with each other began and a strange and tenuous bond formed between them. Liana brought Malera into the twentieth century and eventually shared a few of the experiments she had started over the years. Liana had always easily rolled with the times, and seemed to forget that it was very difficult for most vampires to do, locked in the frame of mind they had been turned in, and fearing the changes that were inevitable. Malera, in turn, taught Liana all she knew of stealth, security and ruthlessness. It was from Malera that she learned to kill without thinking, to protect their existence, and when she surpassed Malera's own abilities, she continued the practicing on her own.

When the improvements in technology came, it was Malera who urged her to destroy the beings that built on their land. Over seventy years together, many improvements were added, necessitating the deaths of many men and a few women that Liana would've spared to her later detriment. It became natural to her, this killing to protect their secret lives. Even though at heart, Liana hated herself for it, it was necessary to live as she chose. That also meant the deaths of their own kind, which stumbled into their territory unwittingly and sniffed them out from time to time. The first was an absolute disaster that had almost gotten Liana killed when she had hesitated, Malera had streaked from the house in a blur of white and together they eventually dispatched the intruder. Malera did not speak to her for nearly a month afterward, and Liana took the lesson to heart. Never hesitate.

It was a strange partnership. To this day, they had never spoken of their previous lives. Malera knew that Liana was blood-sister to Annabelle. Liana knew that Malera had killed her sire and remained under sentence of death. That was it. Their time together became the unspoken link that bound them, though they rarely conversed with each other for any long period. With them, conversation was not necessary. They spoke only when something needed to be said. Beyond that, it was knowledge. Malera had a quick and voracious mind, though she was slow to change her habits to suit the styles of changing times. Liana had the discipline and means to test and expand their knowledge. The combination together was limitless, it seemed.

For over seventy years, they lived together in Liana's white colonial two story house in a remote region of the Ozark Mountains in Western Arkansas, on the border of Oklahoma. Never had Annabelle sent another creature to disturb their domestic tranquility, which was well because did not think they would have survived. Not with the training she and Malera had gone through together.

This one had, though; and he came to her from Annabelle, after seventy years of little to no contact between them. _What is she thinking?_

Liana could not fathom Annabelle's reasons beyond some calculated attempt on Max's life. That much, she was prepared for and understood. She kept his face in her thoughts as she rummaged through her stores of poisons, tranquilizers and weapons. Her clothing, little that was required though she had no idea how long she was to be gone, she had already packed tightly into her suitcase. The most important requirement for the trip was before her. What to bring? She selected, and returned, many different implements of death and self-preservation. Never absolutely settling on any set of items, she finally reluctantly admitted to herself that she would need to speak more with the stranger about this pack of rogues before she would know what to bring. It was vital to know what she was up against. There were too many variables.

_Am I to kill these creatures? Are any to be spared? Am I going in to a situation that will bring Max to me?_

Her ignorance of the situation in Santa Carla distressed her greatly. If Malera had taught her nothing else, it was to know as much as possible before going in to a dangerous situation. As if summoned, Malera appeared at her door, watching her pace complacently.

"I'm concerned." Liana muttered, nibbling a thumb as she moved.

"Undoubtedly."

"There are too many variables in this situation. I don't have any idea what I'm getting into."

Malera nodded at her, her eyes fixed on her face.

"We are to leave in a few hours. Unless, you think it wise to eliminate Shade first. I am uncertain. I find myself reluctant in this case, because I don't understand Annabelle's motive in sending him."

"I have no insight to offer you on that point either."

"But you agree, then, that Anna might want him alive?"

Malera sighed, and after a moment, nodded again. "He seems almost a kindred spirit with us. He shows no signs of belonging to anyone. He seems just as uncomfortable with us as we are with him. I've watched him you see. I believe he lives alone, like we do. He doesn't mix in society. His courtesies are formed from an unconnected, deeper part of his upbringing. He is nearly as old as I am, Liana."

Liana had stopped pacing and listened to her, staring at her hands as she spoke. "You figured this out just from my talk with him?"

Malera again nodded.

"I suppose, then, that you sense no ulterior motives in him."

"Oh that." She smiled, "Of course."

Liana's eyes rose to her companion's face. "Interesting. I could sense a deeper motivation in him as well, but could not decide what it was."

"I believe I can safely say," Malera said thoughtfully, "That this Shade would prefer not to have you along for whatever purpose he has. He does not want to be here, that much is plain. He is here by necessity."

Liana nodded, "I thought as much too. Believing that to be the case, either he is here to attempt to destroy us for some purpose we can't know yet, or he is telling the truth insofar as he able to while keeping something secret that could change how I feel about going at all."

Malera smiled her agreement.

"Then I'll go with him by land. He'll want to fly, but that won't happen. If he turns on me, I'll keep enough on me to take him out quickly and come back." Liana walked towards her bed resolutely, chewing on a thumbnail.

"This one will not be easy to kill. And remember, we agreed Annabelle might want him alive."

"Yes." She turned and looked back at Malera, "That just means the attempt to destroy us is less likely, not impossible. I must be prepared for either outcome."

Malera nodded. "Shall I check on him now, or just bring him an hour before sundown? Will that give you enough time, do you think?"

Liana shook her head. "Let him sleep. Is there anything I can do to help prepare for my leave?"

Malera, having already begun to leave, replied over her shoulder, "No. I think the house is secure.", before she closed the door softly behind her.

Liana turned and sat on her bed. She had time for a quick nap, but her mind was too full for rest. She decided, after a moment, on a bath to settle her nerves.

In the basement, Shade slept soundly. He'd been apprehensive. But the shock of evading an executioner and preserving his own life was a situation he had not prepared for. It had been mentally and physically exhausting, and in a few hours, it would begin again. He didn't know what they meant to do any more than Liana did. He too, wondered what Annabelle had been thinking by sending him here, where visitors were apparently killed immediately upon arrival. He was sure Annabelle had to have known that coming here might have been the death of him. Whether that was the result she wanted, he was not as certain. His last thought before he had succumbed to his exhaustion was that there was too much he didn't know concerning these two women.

After a long soak with scarcely an hour left in the day, Liana had returned to the basement. She sat on a simple wooden stool in the darkness watching Shade sleep. He hadn't moved in over an hour. Based on that reason alone, Liana knew he'd been depleted. She wondered idly how long he'd been on the move, what he'd been doing and, of course, why. Now nearly everything was ready for their departure. She believed after an hour or so of strategic conference between herself and her visitor, the final arrangements would take seconds. They would then travel west to Santa Carla. How they were to travel, she had yet to determine. She assumed he could fly, as most vampires could, though she herself could not. This would be easily remedied, if he had planned to carry her, were it not for the small problem of trust. The lack of it between them opened a gulf of obstacles. It would be difficult to get to Santa Carla quickly in her case, but she was sure she could make the trip over two nights at the most, traveling as the crow flies. Her lack of the ability to fly was rare, but her other gifts made up for it; and after all, no vampire truly understood or could predict what type of abilities would emerge after the change. Some abilities took centuries to develop; others simply were there when a vampire opened his or her preternatural eyes for the first time. It was one of the oldest mysteries of their race.

Shade's eyes opened suddenly, startling her out of her mental preparations. Within seconds, he had vaulted up and streaked to the opposite wall. It amused her, watching him panic. He had gotten control of himself, his eyes travelling around the room before finally resting on her. He let out a long sigh, walked back to sofa warily and slowly sat down in front of her.

"Forgive me for startling you." She teased with a small grin.

Shade slumped backwards and rubbed at his eyes. "I have never slept so far away from home. I'm familiar with nothing in this place and was disoriented. You are not to blame."

Liana folded her hands in her lap. "You speak very properly, Shade. I believe this is not your first language either. I still have no idea what you said to me after I grazed your shoulder." She laughed a little at the memory.

He sighed, rolling his head to stretch the tendons in his neck, but gave no answer.

"I suppose we'll dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business."

"I would prefer it."

"What is it exactly you want to do?"

"Take out the rogues." He stated simply.

Liana blinked at him. "…and?"

Shade looked uncertain for a moment, "That is all I had planned to do."

"You said there were four mature vampires, a woman and a child. You plan to kill them all?"

"I will not harm the woman and child." He replied, insulted.

"Yet you make no provision for them, either. You separate them from the rogues when you speak of the group. They must be weaker, or slaves to the mature vampires of the nest. What will you do with them?"

Shade grimaced, "I have noticed that the woman is admired by someone I know will care for her. I believe she will keep the child with her. She has a fondness for him, though he seems to be attached to one of the boys. I have not given it much thought beyond that, I confess."

Liana rolled her eyes. It was typical for a man to rush in headlong before he knew what he was dealing with. "So you don't mean to destroy the woman and child. Is this person you speak of a vampire? Knowledgeable of our ways?"

"No!" Shade answered vehemently.

She blinked, utterly at a loss. Her doubts about the entire situation were beginning to anger her tremendously. _He begs me for assistance, only to keep secrets from me?_ That he was hiding something, both Malera and she knew with certainty. _And if he's hiding things from us, how much did he keep from Annabelle?_ Allowing her emotions a release with only a glare took every ounce of her self-control.

The man across from her fidgeted slightly, as if knowing she was about to snap. "Look," he started with a tone of contrition, "We just need to get there. I haven't planned anything thoroughly because I knew I couldn't act. It's not my way. I know it has put us at a disadvantage for now, and that you are extremely cautious by nature, believe me."

She was only slightly mollified by this. "You have no idea. I don't do anything without careful planning. This whole situation goes against everything in me. I can't stress enough the importance of your candor. I don't know why you are hiding information from me, but if it is something that will endanger our lives, in any way, you had best let it be known. If you betray me, I will make it my final mission in this cursed existence of mine to destroy you and everything you hold dear."

Shade nodded with a sigh. "I'm only trying to protect those who must be protected. I cannot know for sure that Annabelle, being of the council, will not seek to do them harm."

"What has this to do with me? I have no dealings with the council."

"She is your blood sister, is she not? You have no secrets from each other, I would imagine. If she were to ask, you would be honor bound to tell her." He looked at her, not with censure, but with a tacit understanding that this was how it must be.

It was his earnest gaze that made her laugh. That it was slipping into confusion, then irritation, made her laugh harder.

"By all means, I'll not be the one to curtail your humor at my expense, but we do not have time for this." He muttered.

"Oh," she chuckled, "You don't know us at all, do you? Shade, I've kept secrets from Annabelle for years. She has no idea, and neither do you, I might add, half of what I do. I would say the same for her most readily. She and I obviously lead very different lives. Of course, she being of the council and ambitious for power, there is much she probably does to attain it that she would never disclose to me. Your notions of our bond are very touching, but sadly inaccurate."

"How is this possible? Are you not a family of sorts?" He looked genuinely confused, almost shocked.

"You put a lot of meaning into that word I see." She smiled, "Unfortunately that is a rare trait among our kind. To be honest, there is no one out there I regard with such feeling, such trust." She spoke to him in a tone of distant regret. The regret gave proof of its sincerity. She meant every word.

"What of your house mate? Surely…"

"Explaining the arrangement between Malera and me will take a long time. The short answer is no."

He was then absolutely disgusted with his kind in general. He had hoped that there were some few of them in the world who still felt connected to their humanity. If this woman, the closest he had come to finding anyone with his own disinclination for vampire society, had not feelings of honor or emotional connection with any living creature beyond herself, then what could be said for the vampire? Their eternal detachment, their vicious ways only held in check by the laws their kind created to sustain humanity as a source of nourishment – laws no doubt dishonored by the very creatures chosen to uphold them, gave him a pang of regret for his existence that could not soon be overcome.

Liana saw the pain in his eyes that he tried to hide, and remembered her own experience with this sad revelation. For someone as old as he was, it amazed her that it took so long for him to realize the true nature of the race he belonged to. She could almost sense his high-blown ideals of love and family being shattered inside him. She could empathize with him, but could not regret sharing this truth. Didn't he understand that she despised her kind as well? Why else would she live out here in the middle of nowhere?

As for Shade, now more than ever he knew he had to save Michael and Sam, and destroy the rogues. It was the right thing to do, the humane thing to do. He had promised to keep the Emerson family safe at all costs, and he would. But could he trust this detached, dangerous predator with their human lives? He had no idea whether she would kill them or not, once she found out they knew about the existence of vampires.

David had signed their death warrants with the council when he revealed himself to them. Shade knew this at the time he went to the council, but had figured that he could have Chester pull the boys away one evening and hide them while they handled the rogues. He hadn't foreseen this difficulty. Now, with the council refusing to act, this desperate mission was proving almost as deadly to the Emerson family than if he had just sat back and watched the rogues take them all. What, by all that he held sacred, was he supposed to do now?

Liana, meanwhile, was watching him closely while he came to his sad conclusions. Fascinating as he was in all his honorable ways, they still needed to get moving. "Shade."

He looked up, seeming resolved and regretful at the same time. "It will be best for both of us to leave now."

"How? I have no idea what to bring with me, how skilled these creatures are or whether we'll be going against them all at once or picking them apart one at a time? Do I try for stealth and silence? Are we both going in guns blazing? I don't even know if you can shoot!" Her agitation was rising again, along with her voice, "Furthermore, why in the hell should I do anything!? I don't want to leave my home to kill yet another creature that has had the misfortune to be in my path. I can't even decide if I should! They haven't harmed me! They haven't come into my territory at all! If Max is involved with this, he doesn't even know I'm alive! What was Annabelle thinking!" she almost screamed the last sentence.

Shade gave her a moment to calm herself. "I don't know," he said gently, "but perhaps if I can get you to her, she can tell you. Then, we make preparations or you come back home, whichever you decide."

Liana eyed him mistrustfully. "That's the smartest thing you've said all evening. Do the rogues know they are being hunted?"

"No."

Liana took a deep breath. "I can get there by tomorrow night if I leave now," she stood up as she spoke. "It's going to take me a few minutes to pack up the rest of my armory. I hope you have sufficient room in your house, because I'm going to be shipping a ton of things there."

"What?" He gasped. "No!"

Liana gaped at him. "I need my entire arsenal to take out a nest of that size!"

"I'm not disputing that. Why can't you fly with me?"

"I can't fly, Shade."

"But I can!"

"Not with me you can't."

"_Ayustan!_ You are so cold!" He groaned, yanking his own hair in frustration.

"What the hell are you saying? Speak English, you maniac, and quit being obtuse! I don't trust you any more than you trust me, if I'm not mistaken. I won't put my life in your hands that high in the air. Get over it and let's get on the road." Liana was angry, but very nearly beginning to enjoy this display between them if it weren't for the fact that it was all serious. She almost liked this guy. No obsequiousness, no flirting, not a hint of awareness that she was even female was betrayed by him in word or deed. It would almost be insulting had she not, in her distant past, been so used to the reverse that it made her ill to think of it.

"We lose a whole day of planning, it may be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"To save Michael!" He shouted finally, with an air of nothing left to lose. He had given up keeping his plans to protect the boys a secret from her, in part. In all likelihood, Michael was already a vampire. He would find some way to hide Sam from her knowledge, but perhaps revealing Michael might be enough to sway her to act quickly and still keep most of his promise. "He has fallen in with the group against his will. He's the one who cares for the woman. I have to help him. I'm honor bound to do so."

"I see," she replied, studying him, "This vampire is a friend of yours then, blood-bonded perhaps?"

"No. Just a friend. Long standing," he answered. His words were clipped and even. "He's a family friend."

"Same line, I gather," she mused, "Well, that explains your part in this, and it tells me that I need not kill at least two of them. That helps, you know. But we still have the problem of transport. Is the boy in danger from the rest of the clan because he's courting the female away?"

"Yes."

"Shit. Things could come to a head rather quickly. Who does she belong to?"

"David."

"How did I already know that?" She groaned, "Damned inconvenient that I can't fly. I just can't take the risk of you carrying me. Perhaps you should go on ahead."

"What can I do to convince you that I'm not going to kill you?"

"You can't. You will have my life in your hands. That puts me at a decided disadvantage. I always operate on a level playing field." she shrugged at his grimace, "I'm sorry, that's just the way it is. My feet stay firmly on the ground. I've never even been on a plane." Of course, she wasn't going to mention her irrational fear of heights for what it was, nor the fact that it wasn't true that she'd never flown. Max had been the first to fly with her, ages ago. It was one of her most horrid memories.

"I can get us there in three hours. Three! Enough time to unpack and find the rogues and finish this! You could be back here as early as tomorrow night!" Shade urged.

Liana sighed and shrugged her shoulders impotently. "You are mistaken. There is no way I'll just rush into anything without proper planning and observation. Not to mention the fact that I must speak to Annabelle. You must never forget Max is involved in this, Shade. Never."

"Is there nothing I can do to persuade you, no advantage you could take? You have poisons, surely there is some way you could feel secure and we could get there quickly."

"No, Shade. We will have to run." She gave the answer sternly, as if correcting a wayward, stubborn child.

He groaned. "Fine. We need to leave quickly."

"I know. If you had not held me here with pointless arguments, we could have been gone by now." She pointed out with a saucy grin.

Shade grimaced and stood. Liana followed suit and together they headed for the door of the basement.

"Will your housemate stay behind?"

"Yes. Someone must keep the house," she replied vaguely, no need to tell him that Malera was still under a death sentence as far as they knew.

The two remained silent until they reached the top of the stairs. Liana pointed to the den, and told him to wait as she gathered her belongings. They would both have to carry them, since she couldn't be certain which of her arsenal would not be necessary, thereby making it imperative to carry all of it. That way, once she'd spoken to Annabelle and figured out what the hell was really going on, she'd be over-prepared instead of needing something she'd left here. The arrows took up the most space, but they weren't bulky. The pack containing a goodly amount of her different potions was the most complicated, as it was designed to prevent jostling the liquids as much as possible. Two outfits, black leather and all the necessary holsters and a few of the throwing knives she had collected were in a small bag. The other pack contained her bullets and a few extra guns. She was confident that between the two of them, they'd manage fairly well, losing only a short amount of time in travelling.

Shade looked in on her from the den, noticing she was carrying several complicated looking travel cases. He forbore commenting. Instead, he grabbed the largest when she entered and asked how she wanted them carried as they moved toward Santa Carla.

She grimaced. "This is not going to be pleasant. I'm half tempted to drive, though it will be much slower."

"If you want my opinion, I doubt you will need half of this." He gave a small smile.

She turned to stare at him with raised eyebrows, "Ah. So you do have a sense of humor." She then let out a breath as she dropped the pack containing her salves and poisons. "I know. We don't know what I _will_ need though." Glancing at the packs, she concluded that the arrows, though lighter, were the least likely to be ruined by mishandling. She decided that the bullets and poisons were also safest in her possession, as the weight of each wasn't necessarily an issue. They'd be travelling at a slower pace either way the packs were distributed.

"I'll take these two, you take the other three."

Shade nodded, slid the straps into a somewhat comfortable position and waited as she did the same. "If this trip is successful, I will be in your debt."

"Let's get there first." Liana answered with an unfeminine grunt as she struggled with a strap on the case containing the poisons. It had twisted as the pack slid into position on her back and was causing a mildly irritating abrasion on her left shoulder. Shade reached a hand to adjust it for her, and she stilled for a moment.

"Sorry." He said, "Just trying to help."

"Thanks." She stretched a little as the packs were loaded, everything felt secure. "Let's move."

Together, they walked out into the night. For Shade, this was the first step of doing what he had promised to Chester, saving his grandsons. He held his head a little higher, as they walked. His purpose was clear.

Liana watched him minutely as they walked together, keeping a certain distance between them. She noted the steely resolve with which he moved, and regretted that she could not know for sure what was going on in his head. Since Shade had first appeared in her territory, she had spent the hours mentally prepared herself for action. Now, finally, it was time to figure out just what the hell was going on.

_I'm coming to you, Annabelle…_


End file.
